"No place says late-afternoon lunch better than Bully’s East in Mission Valley. Although the crusty U-T reporters who formerly haunted the place are now, for the most part, gone, there is still an old OMBAC member or two holding forth at the bar even at these hours. Dig into a BIG Seafood Cocktail with a huge Bloody Mary or doff a double Manhattan — neat — with a Prime Rib Melt. You know you’re not really going to go back to work.

Or, if you are up the coast, nothing boasts San Diego joie de vivre better than sitting on the deck at the Brigantine in Del Mar overlooking the lagoon and the racetrack in the afternoon sun. Enjoy a plateful of oysters with a lime-y sauvignon blanc. Or baby back ribs with a pint of IPA. Then cross the highway and take a walk on the beach. You know you’re not going back to work."

"I eat late lunch quite often, and I like Island Spice on Market Street. This little Jamaican joint has a really authentic flavor, both in the food and the vibe. I like to order a meat patty with calypso hot sauce, oxtail stew and a coco rico. Sorry, there’s no Red Stripe. But coconut soda handles the heat from the Scotch bonnet peppers just fine."

— Ricardo Heredia, executive chef at Alchemy Restaurant

"Working up in the UTC/Sorrento Valley area, one of the best additions to the neighborhood has been Specialty’s Café and Bakery. What’s not to love about a sandwich called Peanut Butter and Stuff? "

— David Salisbury, a law firm’s director of business development, avid diner

"Bull Taco at San Elijo Campgrounds in Cardiff. Their fish taco or burrito special of the day is always a good bet. It’s North County’s little secret with a spectacular ocean view. Offers you an afternoon of pure bliss."

— Randee Stratton, real estate broker, avid diner

"That’s when I find it being the perfect time to hit up either Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill or Phil’s BBQ (closed Mondays), because the lines at both places are usually out the door during the lunch and dinner rush.

I love the fish and chips at Blue Water, grilled or fried. The waffle fries are good, especially if you dip them into an order of crab-and-artichoke dip. And if I’m in the mood for barbecue, I’ll go to Phil’s during off-peak hours and get my baby-back rib tickler for less than seven bucks."

"I rarely eat during regular “lunch hours,” so I know. Wander down to Café Chloe (before 3:30 p.m.), impossible to go wrong there. Or Tacos el Paisa on National Avenue for a great Mexican street-food fix — get three Adobado tacos! Oh, and order a Tecaté. Or sit at the Oyster Bar at Fish Market downtown and get a dozen-plus Kumamotos.

But it costs money to keep the doors open, so it will never be easy to find as many choices as eating at 2 p.m."

— Andrew Spurgin, executive chef at Waters Fine Catering

Bencotto Italian Kitchen in Little Italy is almost always full, and its regular menu tops out at $19.— John R. McCutchen

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Bencotto Italian Kitchen in Little Italy is almost always full, and its regular menu tops out at $19.
— John R. McCutchen

"The Grant Grill Lounge of course! Great food, wine and cocktails. Even open between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on holidays."

— Jeff Josenhans, director of beverage outlets and sommelier at the U.S. Grant (his cocktails are served at the hotel’s Grant Grill)

"Story of my life, but luckily we have a variety of options a quick walk from our Little Italy office. At Enoteca Style on India it’s the Soba Noodle and Ahi Sashimi salad or Kettner Panini with roasted pork loin, gorgonzola and and hot Chinese mustard.

Buon Appetito closes between lunch and dinner but their little sister Sogno diVino is right next door and stays open straight through. Check your calendar for meetings if you’re going back to work after the baked goat cheese; we’re talking serious garlic.

Burger Lounge slings those grass-fed burgers and crunchy onion rings from open to close and Bencotto Kitchen keeps the sexy red prosciutto slicer, the gnocco fritto and the creamy zucchini soup going all afternoon between lunch and dinner."

— Catt White, farmers market manager

The very Manhattan-esque 59th and Lex, named after the Manhattan address of Bloomingdale's, and found at Fashion Valley mall. file art — Union-Tribune

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The very Manhattan-esque 59th and Lex, named after the Manhattan address of Bloomingdale's, and found at Fashion Valley mall.
/ Union-Tribune

"That’s a hard one for me as I basically never eat at 4 p.m. When I do it’s frozen yogurt! I am hooked on it...But if I did, I think I would choose a food court, Horton Plaza maybe or Fashion Valley mall, plenty of choices, lots of beautiful stores and even a nice cafe in Bloomingdale's (Note: 59th and Lex, read a review): simple good food, plenty of distractions, and friendly service."

— Fabrice Poigin, private chef, restaurant consultant

"Between 3 and 5 p.m., I'll eat lightly because I generally have dinner with my family. But the xiao long bao (a juicy steamed pork dumpling) at Mr. Dumpling or the tamarind-laced chole samosa at Surati Farsan Mart, especially with a small chai masala, hit the spot."

— Matthew Rowley, writer, food historian

"I’m a nut for Jersey Mike’s. Yes, it’s a franchise, but there are not too many around here. And they put together a pretty good sandwich."

— Dave Morgan, CPA, avid diner

"I love Pho Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest for fast, fresh, healthy and inexpensive Vietnamese cuisine. I love the pho, of course, but any of their noodle dishes are fantastic, especially when topped with the smoky grilled shrimp. It also has lots of options for vegetarians and vegans."

— Susan Russo, food writer, cookbook author

"I find that no matter what city I find myself in, Mexican restaurants are always very flexible with their menus and almost never close. I know places like La Fiesta have much higher ratings, but for me it’s “El Agave.” Why? One word: Tequila! They have one of the finest tequila selections in the world. They have a lunch and dinner menu, but they will allow you to order off the dinner menu at any time. Comfort food and a snifter of a fabulous Anejo (Tequila aged in a oak barrel for over 364 days) works for me."

"I’m a huge fan of pho. Why? Because, no matter when you go, you’ll always get a remarkably consistent product. It’s soup. Made the same every time, every day. Giant bowls of filling soup (and tripe, and rare beef, and tendon, AND brisket). The fresh basil and cilantro, with a twist of lemon or lime, and mixed with rich beef broth = the cure-all. Need cure for a head cold? PHO!

I spent many sweltering hot days of summer at a booth slurping down boiling beef soup. Why would I eat soup on a hot summer day? BECAUSE IT’S DELICIOUS! and filling. and cheap. and kinda sketchy... I prefer two joints: Pho Ca Dao (where one can enjoy various traditional Vietnamese dishes), but, particularly Pho Hoa because all’s they’s do’s is soup. There’s something great to be said for a business that has a singular focus. Love it!"

— Anthony Schmidt, bartender at Noble Experiment

"Two institutions are present in nearly every single community in San Diego: taco shops and bars. The latter is sure to have local beer and, nowadays, at least something passable, if not thoughtful, to help sop it up. While the proliferation of the former is one of the things that makes me so happy to be a local. No matter where you are in SD, there’s some joint mere blocks away serving up some incredible tortilla-swaddled mound of decadence that I can’t wait to get my hands on and my mouth around even when there are plenty of other available options!"

— Brandon Hernández, food writer

"Grandma’s. Go to your grandma’s between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Grandma is ready to serve you, she’s probably been working on it all day. That’s her time."

— William Bradley, executive chef at Addison

The Chocolate Souffle at Chocolat, on Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest.— Sean M. Haffey

"Coffee is my typical, late afternoon solution. There’s never a bad time of day to support your neighborhood independent coffee shop. Buy a straight cup o’ joe and a pastry and you’ll escape for under $5 bucks. I’ve been known to stop into Krakatoa in Golden Hill to grab their house coffee and a blueberry muffin. Or if you’re not a coffee drinker and prefer premium teas, try Tea Upon Chatsworth in Point Loma. They offer “Cream Tea” service, an in-between meals experience consisting of two signature Chatsworth scones with rose-petal jam and fresh fruits, along with a pot of premium tea. Reservations suggested."

— Gerald “Dex” Poindexter, publicist, avid diner

"Hillcrest’s Saigon on Fifth is a great escape in the late afternoon. Service is a little more relaxed post lunch-rush, though still very attentive. I usually sip fresh green coconut water (Ngoc Dua) as I peruse the menu — it perks up my palate. If it’s been a particularly rough day, I piggyback the coconut with a classic Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Café Sua Da). The soul-satisfying bowl of Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup, eaten traditionally as breakfast) is simple, refined and still a large portion. But it isn’t the ghetto-Pho burgeoning with tendon & tripe you find elsewhere for $5-7 a bowl. This Pho’s broth is light, clean and consommé clear. The crab-asparagus soup is also very good. And the creamy basil salmon and the spicy Hue sea bass are my favorite dishes. The baked eggplant, too.

And nothing caps a late lunch better than gelato. Chocolat’s is made in-house, and they just happen to be down the street. I dig the cantaloupe, pineapple, spicy dark chocolate and pistachio. Okay, okay… I’ll have an espresso, too!"